Deceit (Gallows Hill, #1)

by Katelyn Taylor

When I’m done, I set the makeup coated napkins on the counter before I lower my face. Maybe, if no one sees me, it won’t be that bad. They won’t notice my dark circles or how my cheeks are always a little more red than the rest of my face, and hopefully they’ll miss the scar here and there from good old hormonal acne. “Why are you so worried about not wearing any makeup? You weren’t in the pool?” Ronan asks. “It’s different. I wasn’t supposed to see anyone in the pool, this is public. Anyone could see me and—” “And?” he interrupts. I shrug. “Judge. Talk.” “So, if you would have known I was going to be in the pool, you would have put on makeup? Despite having your face submerged for a significant amount of time?”

“You don’t need that shit anyways,” he grumbles, almost to himself more than anything. “Makeup?” I laugh. “I definitely do.” “No,” he says seriously, his eyes ensnaring me as he speaks. “You don’t.” Something inside of me twists at his words, and I find it difficult to swallow for a moment before I nod. “So, what’s wrong?” “Hm?” I ask. “You were crying, obviously. Why?”

“My lovely fiancé just decided my Saturday needed to start off with a heavy dose of public humiliation.” His brows knit together at that. “What do you mean?” I bite my lip and turn my head away, refusing to go into detail. It’s bad enough that without a doubt, the whole school is literally laughing in my face right now.

“What did he do?” Something about the way he is looking at me, the way he is touching me, is forcing all of my walls to drop simultaneously. So, with a shaky hand, I pass my phone to him. It’s open to the personalized message I got from Asher this morning, along with the photo. Ronan removes his hand from my chin, before looking down at the phone. His jaw ticks, as he stares at it for longer than I’d care before he looks back up at me. “I’ll take care of this.” I shake my head. “Please don’t, it will only egg him on. For whatever reason, he’s trying to make my life miserable, despite me wanting nothing more to do with this situation than him. Feeding into it only gives him the attention and control he’s clearly so desperate for.”

“You’re a hell of a lot more intuitive than your meek demeanor portrays.” I shrug. “You notice a lot when you stay quiet.”

“Putnam? Please don’t tell me you’re Asher’s father,” I balk. Oh my god. If I’ve been, not so secretly, flirting with my fiancé’s dad and having him flirt back with me, I will die. I swear. He shakes his head. “Of course not. I’d have been ten when I had him.” “So, what? You’re his brother?” I guess. “Uncle,” he corrects. Awesome.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.” I let out a hollow laugh as I peer down at him. “Really? It seems as though you were being kind to me to gain my trust. Worming your way past my defenses, to do god knows what, either at the bidding of my fiancé or maybe even his father. Hell, maybe for your own vendetta. Either way, I would very much appreciate it if you would take your hand off of me.” He lets me go instantly, and I take a step away from him when he speaks. “I didn’t know who you were at first.”

“Okay,” I say, taking a seat in front of him. “If you really don’t mean any harm, then tell me what I can do to handle Asher. What can I do to make sure he never humiliates me like this again?”

“Ignore him,” Ronan says. “I know it’s probably not the revenge you want, but Asher is just like his dad. He feeds on attention and power, the more you give him, the more insufferable he becomes. He may spiral from lack of attention, but him coming for you and you not reacting is like attacking a dead animal. It becomes boring after a while.”

“I haven’t met him before– your brother. What’s he like?” Ronan’s jaw tenses and he takes several seconds before speaking. “Didn’t I just tell you?” “You told me the downsides of his personality. Are you really telling me that’s all there is to him? To both of them? You’re the only good Putnam man around?” I say that last part teasingly and he seems to pick up on it, a self-deprecating laugh escaping him before he shakes his head. “Who said I was any good?”

“What do they have?” I ask. “Food, beer, liquor,” he rattles off sarcastically. I roll my eyes at him, but don’t hide my smile. “Well, since I’m only of legal age for one of the three, I will stick with food.” “You’re in Salem now, Skyla. You can have whatever you want,” he says with an easy shrug, as he takes another drink of his beer. “Surely the drinking laws aren’t different here?” I scoff. “They are when your last name is Parris, soon to be Putnam.”

“Let me cover my share,” I say, earning a disapproving look from him as he continues holding his card out for the waitress. I move my hand away from my wallet, lowering my head softly. “Thank you,” I say with a small smile. “Good girl,” he murmurs, causing a flutter to run through me.

“Hey, that looks just like my dad’s ring,” I say, leaning over to take a closer look at it. He stiffens as soon as my fingers touch the cool metal. A cursive letter B is embossed on the front of the silver ring, with similar Latin script carved around it.

“Where did you park?” Ronan asks, as we step out into the parking lot. I cringe softly as I shake my head. “I walked here.” “You walked?” he scoffs. He looks down at me, towering over me by nearly a foot before he shakes his head. “C’mon,” he says as he hits his key fob, unlocking a sleek, black BMW. I don’t follow him, weighing my options. I probably shouldn’t ride with him. Having lunch with him was bad enough, right? Then again, my feet are practically begging me to say yes because I can’t imagine walking another fifty steps, let alone miles. “Please,” Ronan adds from the side of the car. “It will make me feel better to know you aren’t wandering the streets alone.”

Ronan

You will not touch her thigh. You will not touch her thigh. You will not touch her thigh. My grip on the steering wheel is practically punishing as we make our way back to campus. This was a bad idea. I didn’t like the thought of leaving her there stranded, but I’m reconsidering my decision now.

I don’t know what the fuck is going on with me, and I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t flirt with students, I don’t even entertain the idea, ever. She is not even close to the first student to try to gain my attention, but she sure as shit is the first that’s succeeded. Fuck, she has more than just my attention.

I couldn’t be caught lusting after a student, especially not one from Gallows Hill. All the women are spoken for, either now or will be soon. Inserting myself would not only create problems now, but it could be the end of my life if I wasn’t careful enough.

She moved like the water brought her peace and a little sense in this world. I never related to someone more than in that moment.

All I knew was there was something about this woman that I needed, that I craved. Unfortunately for me, the worst word that could possibly spill from her lips did in the next moment– Parris. She’s my nephews fucking fiancée. How about that coincidence.

Out of all the restaurants in Salem, she had to come into mine. I can’t fucking believe Asher. No, I can, but fuck I’m pissed. I’m going to tear his ass apart and then, his father no doubt, will do the same. I actually hope for his sake that my brother doesn’t find out about this. A disrespect like this, against his own betrothed? Christ, I don’t think he realizes how badly he’s just fucked up. “What dorm are you in?” I ask. “Parris,” she says softly, her meek voice practically crooning into my ear.

As slyly as I’m able, I adjust myself so that she doesn’t see the way she affects me. I’m fucking gross. If you take a step back and look at the situation before us, I’m a gross predatory man and I fucking hate it.

I can feel her eyes on me for several seconds, but I know better than to look. It doesn’t make it feel any better when a soft sigh of disappointment escapes her, and she pushes open the car door before slipping out of it. My car stays parked as I watch each graceful step she takes through those wrought iron gates. It’s an odd thing, seeing such a light soul walk into such a dark place. She won’t be that way for long, not here.

“Hello,” I answer. “Ronan,” my brother greets curtly. “Where are you?” “At the university, about to head home.” “Perfect. Annie Williams will be meeting you there at seven o’clock sharp.” Fucking hell. I’m so sick of this. Ever since everything happened years ago, he’s been hell bent on marrying me off, like I’m his prized pig or something. I’ve repeatedly expressed my disinterest, but he’s not really a man that you say no to. Then again, Annie Williams is a beautiful woman, an appropriate woman. Maybe all I need is a night full of debauchery, with anyone that isn’t Skyla Parris. Who knows, if I like Annie enough, maybe I’ll marry her to get my brother off my back. And have something to distract me from the fact that my nephew will be marrying the first woman, in a very long time, who has captured my attention.

Asher

The damp musty odor of the tunnel permeates my nose instantly. A familiar and unwelcome feeling settles inside my stomach, turning and tightening its grip on me much like it did as a child. The stone walls at my sides feel as if they are closing in already, and I just got here. You can hardly see a hand in front of your face, the only light guiding us being the dim glow of the lit torches lining either side of the walls every six feet exactly. I make sure not to let my discomfort show in the slightest as I raise my head high, pushing my shoulders back and stride through the ancient tunnel as if I own it. I mean, I do. We are on University property. My family owns everything here. Hell, we own everything, everywhere. I suppose that’s the one and only perk of the Putnam name.

In the next moment, we see Alexander Booth just ahead as usual. His family isn’t one of the Elders, but they are a part of the Brethren. It’s bad luck though, because when you join the Brethren without Elder blood in your veins you are offered the life of your dreams, but it comes at a price. For instance, Booth’s price is that he is the Elder’s resident bitch-boy.

He is also the attendance taker if you will, though this is the closest he will ever get to being inside of that room. He’s never even seen past the door he keeps. If he did, I have no doubt my father would gouge out his eyes in an attempt to eviscerate the image from his mind. Then again, he’d probably take his tongue too for good measure, should he ever try to speak of what he sees.

I reach into my slacks pocket, grabbing my pocket-knife before flicking the blade open and pricking the end of my finger. When that first drop of crimson appears, I press my pointer finger to the blank line, where I quickly sign my name and the date before handing my knife to Liam. He quickly does the same, logging his attendance as well. There are a lot of traditions and practices we still participate in that are weird as fuck. This one, for instance. The scripted writing across the top of the page, a clear direction as to why we do what we do. Witches bleed black.

As a Legacy, when we’re thirteen, we are assigned a Bond Brother. He is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of ourselves. You do everything with each other as kids, so that it strengthens your bond as adults. I’m just glad I was matched with Liam. We had been best friends since birth and if I would have had to have been Brothers with someone like Griggs, I think I would have gladly offered myself as well.

Either way it doesn’t matter, every family here, including Liam’s, will one day submit to me. It’s my birthright.

Ronan steps out, eyes scanning to make sure all of us are here. His job, to the Brethren, is essentially the Legacy guardian. Until we are officially inducted into the Brethren, he’s basically our babysitter.

Skyla

When I woke up this morning, someone had slipped an envelope under my door. Inside of it was a silver necklace with a heart shaped pendant. This wasn’t just a normal heart, though. It had thorns and wire wrapped around it that looked to be bleeding. Accompanying it was a piece of paper with a single sentence. Sometimes the most precious things hurt the most.

I’m in such a rush to get out of the classroom that as soon as I step out into the courtyard I barrel into someone, forcing them to stumble a step or two before they face me. “Watch it,” he practically snarls. It only takes me a moment to place him as the tattooed guy from the pool. I haven’t seen him around campus, and I haven’t been back to the pool since that day. Despite how much I already miss it. “It was an accident, Griggs,” Maggie snaps right back.

“Who is that?” I ask Maggie. “Him? That’s Vincent Griggs. Total loner and a complete jerk off.” Yeah, I could tell. “Why do you call everyone by their last name?” I ask as I walk her to her class, since I have a gap in my schedule for a few hours. “What do you mean?” she asks. “Anytime you talk to people you call them by their last name, almost in a derogatory way. Why?” She is quiet for a moment before she speaks. “Heritage is really important around here. It’s ingrained in us. Some families are good, some not so much.”

Liam comes jogging up. He steps in front of us in an attempt to stop our movement, but I give him an unimpressed look as I continue walking. He grins at me like he expected nothing less before he begins jogging backwards, keeping his eyes on me. “Hey, babygirl. Where you going?” “None of your business,” I cut. “Aw come on, don’t be like that. It was funny. If it would have happened to me, you would have been laughing.” “No, I wouldn’t have. It was cruel and undeserving. I most definitely wouldn’t participate in the public humiliation of others because I was so desperate to be accepted by my peers,”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, it was a dick move.” My eyes narrow in suspicion for a moment, searching his face for something teasing or disingenuous. But I come up empty. “It was,” I say carefully. “Can I make it up to you?” he asks. I raise an eyebrow. “Probably not, I’ve been known to hold a grudge.” A laugh escapes him as he smirks. “I’ll bet. There’s a party tonight, be my date?” Now I’m the one that laughs, causing his smirk to drop and a confused look to knit his brows together. “Absolutely not,” I snicker, as Maggie gives me a side eye before chuckling to herself. “Why not?” Liam asks, obviously deeply offended. “I don’t need a reason. No is a complete sentence,”

“We aren’t actually going, right?” She rolls her eyes at me and smirks. “Of course we are.”

Maggie’s eyes roam over me, judgment clear in them as she shakes her head. “Babe, what the hell are you wearing? It’s a bonfire, not a Lamaze class.” I frown at her as I look down at my sweater. “What do you mean? I like this sweater.” “My grandma likes that sweater,” she deadpans. “You have a banging body. Why are you hiding it?” she asks. I cross my arms over my chest uncomfortably before shrugging softly. A sympathetic look crosses her face before she nods. “Sorry, I’m being a bitch. You look beautiful.”

“Maggie, my phone was inside and my key! How am I supposed to get back in?” She waves me off as she continues pulling me down the hallway, like I’m a pet on its way to be neutered. “It’s fine. You can crash with me. Let’s just go already!”

I glance at Maggie uneasily and she rolls her eyes before pulling me over to an empty area near the fire, shaking her hips to the beat. Her hands rest on mine, physically forcing me to move along to the beat as well. I can’t help but laugh before I finally stop fighting her, moving to the upbeat R&B song. She grabs a beer out of some guy’s hand, winking at him as his shoulders slump and he walks back over to the keg where he got his drink. “Who was that?” I ask. “My neighbor, he’s too nice to say no to me,” she says in my ear over the thumping music. “Maybe he likes you.” She snorts and shakes her head. “I fucked around with his sister last summer. He knows he’s definitely not my type.”

When the song changes, to something a little slower and more seductive, I watch as Maggie sets her eyes on a girl behind me. She gives her a sultry smirk before moving past me, grabbing her hips as she begins dancing again. The girl looks a little caught off guard, almost like she wants to push her away. The lust is apparent in her eyes though, even from over here and she quickly succumbs to my friend’s charm. I genuinely think it’s Maggie’s mission to switch every straight woman on campus, at least for a night.

“I’m Bridgetteee,” she exaggerates, before giggling to herself. “We met earlier this week.” I give her a tight smile as I nod again. “I remember, you were bent over my bed.” She snickers at that, covering her mouth as she nods. “Sorry about that. You know how it is, when Asher Putnam asks you to jump, you fling yourself right off the bridge.” I actually can’t relate to that statement, at all. I’m not sure I would willingly do a single thing for Asher Putnam.

“Have you been to the spot yet?” “The spot?” I question with a shake of my head. She rolls her eyes before practically squealing. “Oh my godddd. C’mon. You have to come check it out, it’s like a tradition for new students.” I frown at that and look over my shoulder to see Maggie making out with the girl she was just dancing with. Damn, she moves fast.

There is a sign above it that says, ‘Gallows Hill Cemetery’. A chill runs down my spine as we cross the threshold, goosebumps immediately erupting over my skin. My feet begin to drag, suddenly not as willing to follow this drunk girl into a wooded cemetery. “Where are we going?” I ask. “I told yous,” she slurs. “The spot!” I want to shake her stupid drunk self and tell her she didn’t answer my question, as we weave around the graves surrounding us. My eyes catch on a few of the dates from the headstones. 1692, 1693, 1695. My god, these graves have been here for over three hundred years. Part of me is completely fascinated that this cemetery is so old,

As we get closer my eyes adjust, and I realize it’s the end of a cigarette. The owner of said cigarette is instantly recognizable, and I don’t even try to hide my irritation. “What are you doing out here, Princess?” Asher draws out lazily, taking a large inhale as Liam smiles at me beside him. “She was showing me the spot,” I say as Bridgette pulls us to a stop, giving Asher unashamed goo-goo eyes. Asher nods, as he pushes off the headstone he was leaning up against, unfolding himself to his full height as he looks at the ground in front of him. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth and grabs a beer bottle from the floor, twisting the cap open before he speaks. “Looks like you found it.” I frown at that, looking down at what I can now tell is an empty grave. It looks to be the size for a coffin, but appears to have been dug years ago based on the dirt and surrounding grass. Asher closes the distance between us, stopping inches before me as he rests his free hand on my shoulder. “Wha—” My words are cut off as Asher shoves my shoulder– hard. The ground literally slips out from underneath my feet as my body falls right into the hole, landing with a rough smack into the dirt.

“What the hell?” I shout, before forcing myself to my feet. A twinge comes from my left ankle that leads me to believe it’s at least sprained. Great. The soft ground beneath me sinks, practically swallowing my shoes as I stand. I try to grip the edge of the grass and pull myself up, but I can’t even reach. This thing is at least ten-feet deep, equal amounts of irritation and panic fill me. “Get me out of here!” I demand. “Nah, I think you are right where you belong, but I’m not a total monster. Let me get you something to drink,” Asher says before standing over me, tipping his beer bottle upside-down.

“You asshole! Get me out of here, right now!” He looks down at me, sneering as he wraps an arm around an eager and actually very sober looking Bridgette. Nice acting, little bitch. “Pass.” I watch as he begins walking away, before glancing to see Liam still standing there, a frown tugging his full pink lips. “Ash, we aren’t leaving her all night, right?” he asks, hesitance in his voice. “There’s a shit ton of coyotes, man.” Asher looks over his shoulder at his friend, shrugging nonchalantly. “They can have her.”

My ankle twinges in pain again, forcing me to grimace. Fuck. A cold chill sweeps through the air, forcing me to shiver. At least a half an hour goes by as I try and try to get out of this stupid hole, all attempts completely failed. A howl suddenly sounds out in the night sky, followed by more than I can count. Liam’s words about coyotes come to mind and my stomach turns.